God Shows Us Our Need For His Mercy
Big Truth:
God Shows Us Our Need For His Mercy
Psalm 14:1-3; Matthew 5:43-48; 18:32-35; Romans 3:9-10
Bible Verse:
“Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Big Ideas:
- There is nothing we can do to earn God’s mercy.
- We must understand our need for mercy before we can receive mercy.
- God opens our eyes to see our need for mercy.
- God gives mercy to those who do not deserve it.
Bible Story:
Luke 18:9-14Jesus shares a parable about two men and their very different prayers. One man, the Pharisee, congratulates himself in his prayer for not being a sinner. He then goes on to talk about all of the religious activities that he participates in. The other man, a tax collector, could not even lift his eyes to heaven because he knew how unworthy he was to even look at heaven. His prayer was a declaration of his unworthiness of God’s mercy. The truth Jesus taught through this parable is the truth that we are all undeserving of God’s great mercy, yet God still gives His mercy to us.
Foundation:
God Is Just – God Gives Mercy
Every decision that God makes is perfect and completely just. He is a good judge who cannot and does not allow evil to go unpunished. This means that God must punish injustice. The problem that we all face is that we are unjust sinners. We deserve justice. God’s justice is why we need a substitute, and He sent Jesus to become that substitute. Instead of justice, those who place their faith in Jesus receive mercy.
Every child should know that:
- God’s justice means He always does what is right
- God’s mercy means that he does not give us what we deserve
Every child should be able to:
- Think about the decisions they have to make in light of what God says is right and wrong
- Obey God because He always does what is right
Every child should feel:
- Thankful because God shows us mercy when we do not do what is right
Every child should want:
- To trust God and to obey Him because He is just
